The Art of Peace Foundation announced today that over a dozen of the world’s top musical artists, including Sting, Dave Mathews, Alanis Morissette, John Mayer, Moby and Garbage are coming together for an album entitled, “Songs for Tibet – The Art of Peace”. The project is the artists’ expression of peace and support for Tibet and the Dalai Lama.
The album features acoustic songs recorded by the artists that are proactive celebrations of our shared humanity and common search for happiness. The songs themselves reflect the sublime beauty and vulnerabilities experienced in pursuit of happiness, peace and freedom. The album will release August 5th, three days before the opening of the Summer Olympics.
The album will be distributed by bodywisdom media and available for download through most music download sites, including iTunes and The Art of Peace Foundation’s website. The CD will be also sell through major retailers, including Amazon. With the Beijing Olympics just around the corner, the world is focused on the Chinese involvement in Tibet and the plight of the Dalai Lama and his people. This Olympics may be the best – and perhaps last – opportunity for the world to focus its attention on the Tibetan people and the survival of their culture under Chinese rule.
“We started this project in May after the Olympic torch came to the United States,” says Michael Wohl, Art of Peace Foundation Executive Director. “The support and enthusiasm by the artists has been incredible,” he said, “within one week we began receiving tracks and commitments from top-musicians.”
The concept immediately attracted legendary music producer, Rupert Hine, who signed on to produce the CD. “The commitment and enthusiasm from such a wide group of artists has been astonishing and truly heartfelt.” said Hine, “It’s been exciting orchestrating such an historic project.”
Besides raising awareness and support for Tibet and the Dalai Lama at this critical moment in history, proceeds that the foundation receives from the sale of the album will support projects important to the Dalai Lama for promoting peace.
Background for “The Art of Peace – Songs for Tibet”
Over the last 50 years, Tibetan culture has fed a spiritual renaissance in the West. The Dalai Lama’s universal message of compassion, tolerance, non-violence and selfawareness, has become a profound spiritual inspiration for countless millions of people worldwide. In 1950, the Chinese invaded Tibet and the Dalai Lama fled in exile to India shortly thereafter. Since then, the Chinese government has set out to systematically suppress and destroy Tibetan Buddhism and culture within Tibet. Recently, the Chinese government has embarked on a Han Chinese resettlement program within Tibet. Several million Han Chinese have been moved to Tibet. Tibetans are becoming an ethnic and cultural minority in their own land. As this tragedy unfolds, the global economic and political might of the Chinese government continues to grow. Even the most powerful nations are hesitant to confront the Chinese meaningfully on human rights issues. This is a critical point in history with the impending loss of one of the world’s great cultural treasures. Overt support for Tibet has been systematically suppressed. Athletes are threatened to be kicked out of China and the Olympics if they express support in any way. The Beijing Olympics may be the last major opportunity to show support for Tibet’s cause have it be heard on the world stage.
